Secure electronic billing with real-time funds availability

Abstract

A method can include receiving, at the system and from a first entity, a first request for invoicing a user. The first request can have been initiated by a user request of the user in a mobile application running on a mobile device. The method also can include sending, from the system and to a billing entity, a second request for invoicing the user based at least in part on the first request, the second request comprising a public identifier of the user. The method additionally can include, after sending the second request, receiving, at the system and from the billing entity, first information regarding an invoice for the user to pay the billing entity. The method further can include sending, from the system and to the first entity, second information for displaying an interactive invoice to the user. The second information can be based at least in part on the first information. The method additionally can include receiving, at the system and from the first entity, an authorization of the user to pay, in real-time, a payment amount for the invoice. The method further can include facilitating a real-time payment transaction of the payment amount, based on the authorization, from a first account of the user at a first financial institution to a second account of the billing entity at a second financial institution. Other embodiments are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors; and   one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computing instructions configured to run on the one or more processors and perform:
 receiving, at the system and from a first entity, a first request for invoicing a user, the first request having been initiated by a user request of the user in a mobile application running on a mobile device; 
 sending, from the system and to a billing entity, a second request for invoicing the user based at least in part on the first request, the second request comprising a public identifier of the user; 
 after sending the second request, receiving, at the system and from the billing entity, first information regarding an invoice for the user to pay the billing entity; 
 sending, from the system and to the first entity, second information for displaying an interactive invoice to the user, the second information being based at least in part on the first information; 
 receiving, at the system and from the first entity, an authorization of the user to pay, in real-time, a payment amount for the invoice; and 
 facilitating a real-time payment transaction of the payment amount, based on the authorization, from a first account of the user at a first financial institution to a second account of the billing entity at a second financial institution. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first entity comprises the user operating the mobile device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first entity comprises the first financial institution. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first request comprises the public identifier of the user. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the computing instructions are further configured to perform, before sending the second request:
 determining the public identifier of the user. 
 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first request and the second request comprise an account number of an account of the user at the billing entity. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user is devoid of having previously received a prior invoice through the system for a service on which the invoice is based. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user is devoid of having previously received any invoices from the billing entity through the system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the real-time payment transaction involves a promise-to-pay message sent from the first financial institution, through the system, and to the second financial institution;   the promise-to-pay message is sent after a successful debit of the first account for the payment amount;   the second financial institution performs a successful credit for the payment amount to the second account to make funds available in the second account in real-time after the authorization of the user; and   the real-time payment transaction of the payment amount is credited to an account of the user at the billing entity in real-time after the authorization of the user based on the successful credit for the payment amount to the second account.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first financial institution maintains a first settlement account;   the first settlement account is credited for the payment amount to account for the successful debit of the first account at the first financial institution for the payment amount;   the second financial institution maintains a second settlement account;   the second settlement account is debited for the payment amount to account for the successful credit to the second account at the second financial institution for the payment amount; and   funds for the payment amount are transferred from the first settlement account to the second settlement account in a settlement completion that occurs after the successful credit is made to the second account for the payment amount.   
     
     
         11 . A method being implemented via execution of computer instructions configured to run at one or more processors and configured to be stored at one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a system and from a first entity, a first request for invoicing a user, the first request having been initiated by a user request of the user in a mobile application running on a mobile device;   sending, from the system and to a billing entity, a second request for invoicing the user based at least in part on the first request, the second request comprising a public identifier of the user;   after sending the second request, receiving, at the system and from the billing entity, first information regarding an invoice for the user to pay the billing entity;   sending, from the system and to the first entity, second information for displaying an interactive invoice to the user, the second information being based at least in part on the first information;   receiving, at the system and from the first entity, an authorization of the user to pay, in real-time, a payment amount for the invoice; and   facilitating a real-time payment transaction of the payment amount, based on the authorization, from a first account of the user at a first financial institution to a second account of the billing entity at a second financial institution.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first entity comprises the user operating the mobile device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first entity comprises the first financial institution. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first request comprises the public identifier of the user. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising, before sending the second request:
 determining the public identifier of the user. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first request and the second request comprise an account number of an account of the user at the billing entity. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user is devoid of having previously received a prior invoice through the system for a service on which the invoice is based. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user is devoid of having previously received any invoices from the billing entity through the system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the real-time payment transaction involves a promise-to-pay message sent from the first financial institution, through the system, and to the second financial institution;   the promise-to-pay message is sent after a successful debit of the first account for the payment amount;   the second financial institution performs a successful credit for the payment amount to the second account to make funds available in the second account in real-time after the authorization of the user; and   the real-time payment transaction of the payment amount is credited to an account of the user at the billing entity in real-time after the authorization of the user based on the successful credit for the payment amount to the second account.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the first financial institution maintains a first settlement account;   the first settlement account is credited for the payment amount to account for the successful debit of the first account at the first financial institution for the payment amount;   the second financial institution maintains a second settlement account;   the second settlement account is debited for the payment amount to account for the successful credit to the second account at the second financial institution for the payment amount; and   funds for the payment amount are transferred from the first settlement account to the second settlement account in a settlement completion that occurs after the successful credit is made to the second account for the payment amount.